Serving adults & children in Clay, Otter Tail & Wilkin Counties

Mobile mental health services are short-term, face to face services designed to restore a person’s functioning level to pre-crisis levels. Mobile mental health crisis response services offer opportunities to de-escalate a situation or problem and to help people develop individualized strategies for their future concerns.Services are available almost anywhere in the community.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the crisis “criteria” for having a crisis team dispatched to my home?

We let the caller define the crisis. The meaning of a crisis situation is defined differently from person to person. Basically, if you are struggling with a problem and you don’t know what else to do, you can call the crisis line for help on the phone or in your home. As long as there are no safety concerns a crisis team can be sent to your home to help.

What does it mean to “dispatch” a crisis team?

A mental health professional can physically send out a team of 2 mental health practitioners into the community to provide mobile crisis services. The professional only dispatches a crisis team after safety issues have been addressed. If any safety issues are present, the team will not be dispatched, and the mental health professional will proceed to assist the caller on the phone.

How do you document your crisis calls and dispatches?

Our team uses an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) that is web-based. Crisis staff is able to access the EMR from anywhere. Some crisis staff use an Ipad as well to complete documentation.

How do service providers benefit from referring adults and families to use the crisis line?

There are several benefits:
1. Client Stabilization: Mobile crisis services can be involved in discharge planning along with being added to a client’s treatment plan as a last step.
2. Continuity of Care: We can provide seamless care when providers have their client sign release forms to exchange information (this must be faxed or sent by protected email to the Mobile Crisis Services Program Coordinator.
3. More efficient delivery of crisis services: A service provider can fax or send a protected email with the clients’ crisis plan as well. Then the client’s information can be entered into our EMR so the mental health professionals can pull up his/her information and help “walk them through” their crisis plan. Having the information in our EMR before an actual crisis occurs can save staff time and shorten the response time to the clients’ home. Provider must attach a signed release form with the crisis plan to the Mobile Crisis Services Program Coordinator.

How does a consumer benefit from utilizing the crisis line?

There are several benefits:
1. Maintain independence: A consumer can work on the ability to apply their coping skills to their crisis situation over the phone (least restrictive). If a crisis team is sent to the consumers’ home, the client can learn to apply their coping skills in their own home, which may be more comfortable. The end goal is to keep the client in their home so they don’t have to be hospitalized (this helps decrease the disruption in the consumers’ daily schedule too).
2. Building confidence and skills: If a client practices applying his/her coping skills, this will help increase his/her confidence so they can help control their mental illness; this helps build resiliency.

What are the main reasons why people call the crisis line?

Calls for adults: Anxieties, suicidal thoughts, depression, and paranoia; (these are also the main reasons for dispatches)
A. Calls for children: Aggressive & out of control behaviors, defiant behaviors, anxieties, suicidal thoughts; (these too are the main reasons for dispatches)

What happens if there are 2 dispatches at the same time in the same county?

We have a list of crisis staff who are willing to go out if called even when they aren’t on-call.

How many teams do you have to cover 3 counties?

We have 2 teams, one in Clay County, and one in Otter Tail County. Both counties help cover Wilkin County. There are always 2 mental health practitioners on-call in Clay County, and in Otter Tail County (4 total). Then one mental health professional supervises all teams over the phone. The location of the crisis and the location of where the mental health practitioners live are also applied in deciding which team to dispatch.

How long are staff on-call?

Staff are on-call from Monday through Sunday (one full week).

If I call about my child, will you come take him/her away?

NO. We are not linked with child protection. Crisis staff have no authority to place a child in custody; only police. Our goal is to keep individuals in their homes.

Can you take my child to Shelter Care?

NO, we have no authority to place children in Shelter Care. Police must be involved to place a child in Shelter Care if there are no prior arrangements made between the Case Manager and Clay County Social Services.

Does your program provide crisis services in an Emergency Department?

We began serving Lake Region Hospital ED in Fergus Falls in September 2016 and we are also in the Emergency Department at the Perham Hospital in Perham, MN. Due to budgetary reasons and some state border technicalities we are not able to provide ED-based crisis services in other areas. Involving mobile crisis services in hospital settings is very complex (credentialing of crisis staff with the hospital) and each hospital may have very different requirements. This is certainly something we continue to have on our “radar”.

How long does a typical dispatch last?

• The average face-to-face time with a client is 2 hours
• The average time from when crisis staff get dispatched, to when they arrive at their own home is 3 hours
• The average response time for arriving at a client’s house is 30-45 minutes

How often do you dispatch crisis teams?

• We average about 8 dispatches a month.
• We average about 45 calls a month (these calls vary: some calls are basic referrals or information, some calls result in phone support, and some calls result in dispatching a crisis team).

How do you get feedback about your program?

• We conduct regular phone surveys with people we have seen.
• We also send out electronic surveys to service providers.
• Our crisis staff “debrief” with the mental health professional over the phone after a dispatch to explore what went well, and what could have been done differently.

Can you transport clients?

Sometimes. Crisis staff only transport if there are no other transportation options AND if crisis staff feel safe to transport; this doesn’t happen very often. Most often, an adult and/or a parent is able to drive.

How is staff trained?

Crisis staff complete a “New Staff Training” once they are hired. Crisis staff are then required to attend four quarterly trainings throughout the year. Training topics are based on crisis staff requests and other needs.

Will you dispatch a team to someone who is under the influence of drugs or alcohol?

Each call will be handled on an individual basis by our on-call Mental Professional. Our Professionals will ensure quality care for the individual in crisis while maintaining the safety and security of everyone involved.